Long-term update: Renault Kadjar 1.2T Dynamique EDC

The recent holidays seemed like a good time to test the Kadjar’s fuel economy: with less traffic on the road and the generally slower pace of life, it was an opportunity to see what the crossover could deliver when given a chance.

At the beginning of the month, our average fuel consumption was 9,3 l/100km, having covered a total distance of just over 5 000km. At that stage, our best recorded consumption on a tank of 95 unleaded was 8,1 l/100km.

With no plans for a coastal pilgrimage, the test was going to play out in a completely urban environment, relying more on some considered acceleration and braking, rather than long stretches of speed-regulated cruising. Helping with the experiment would be the Kadjar’s “Eco” mode, activated by a quite unsubtle button on the right-hand side of the steering column.

When it kicks in, Eco mode takes a noticeable amount or punch out the 1200 turbo motor’s power delivery; it also relaxes the aircon to the point where, unless it’s on its absolute minimum setting, it’s not really worth having on at all.

While those two factors have an obvious impact on the drive, ultimately they’re not strong enough reasons to stay away from Eco mode, especially given the potential for fuel saving.

The test brought about some interesting results. Besides the expected drop in consumption, it also showed just how easy it can be to drive in an economical manner.

The Kadjar helps “train” the driver in that regard, providing an analysis of driving style via the R-Link infotainment system: it rates driving on a 5-star scale based on the smoothness (or otherwise) of braking and acceleration, and provides a breakdown of fuel consumption over each journey.

It also provides an “eco-score” out of 100. With a bit of effort, smooth acceleration and pre-emptive braking became a habit; coasting also became part of each drive, and spotting opportunities to come off the gas completely without losing too much momentum (and in some cases gaining) became second nature.

The end result is that our overall consumption has dropped to under 9l/100km, and our new best average figure is 7,5l/100km. That particular journey included over 200 km of coasting! Overall, we were pleased that a little bit of effort showed tangible results; it also shows that a single tank of fuel would take the Kadjar over 1 000 km on the open road.

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